As soon as you decide now is the time to buy a home, you begin to formulate home features and amenities you want to find in the home of your dreams. The home's basic features are important but there are some other items you should include in your search for the right home. Here are some items you should consider as you search for a home to buy to fit your needs and style.
Home Appliances and Systems
The inside of a home you tour through is going to have a specific color and type of carpeting, wall paint, and other physical features that make it attractive or unattractive to you. But the condition and age of the home appliances and important systems in the home are essential as they can make a big difference in your comfort and convenience living in the home.
Look at the age of the home's dishwasher, stove, and built-in microwave. If you are buying a home with the fridge included, the fridge's age and condition is also an important factor. Then, the age and condition of the air conditioner, HVAC furnace, and water heater are also important points to determine. If the home's appliances are older and not in the best condition, it is going to fall to you as the new homeowner to replace them soon. Be sure you calculate this detail into your purchase price offer to allow you some wiggle room in the price to update them.
Another option is to request the seller replace some or all of them before the sale takes place and offer a bit more on the price. You can also ask the seller to include a home warranty with the purchase. A home warranty will provide coverage for the aging appliances and systems to help cover their cost of replacement or repairs.
Exterior Features
The outside features of a home are also an important part of your decision in whether or not to buy a home. When you first drive up to a house you will notice the type of exterior material the home is made of and the type of landscaping.
If the home is made of wood clapboard that is in need of repainting or will need repainting in a few years, this is something to consider before you purchase the home. Do you want to handle repainting the home every few years, for example, or would you rather buy a home that has a brick, stucco, or siding exterior?
Is the home's landscaping in good condition or neglected, and is the landscaping ornate or simple? All these factors will affect your lifestyle in the home and how much work you will need to put into the home.
For more guidance on buying a home, contact a realtor like Steve Cohn - Keller Williams Realty - Petaluma.
